Soapbox Rants, Spellcheck, and Pop Culture AKA How to Write a Blog

B. Lewis

5 months ago

As a member of the Celebrity Staff team, I am responsible for writing an individual blog a couple times a year to be published on our website and shared with social media. I guess they think I have some knowledge or wisdom to pass on and somehow benefit society! As I stared at my blank Microsoft Word page for nearly 24 minutes, hoping it was like a 3D puzzle and my blog would magically appear, I had an epiphany. I would write my blog on how to write a blog. Heads up – you’re welcome.

Why write a blog?

So why even do this? What do I get out of it? Well, seeing as how everything has to always be about you, let me tell you. There are many schools of thought behind the benefits of company blogs, but here are two quick ones.

It builds your personal brand and credibility. Think about it, somebody is reading your opinion or ideas on a topic they are more than likely interested in learning more about. Also, there’s nothing cooler than sitting at Starbucks with your laptop, sipping on your iced PSL while the Lumineers are playing an acoustic set, and remarking about the topic of your latest published work. All pretentious stereotypes aside, by reading your blogs, people are essentially coming to you for advice. How about that, Mr. or Ms. Expert?

It increases search engine traffic. If you are writing great content relevant to your audience, you are more likely to show up higher on the search list. When people search for the topic you are writing about and visit your website, they will see you as the expert.

Understand your audience

Before typing away, you want to have a clear understanding of your target audience. What do you think will resonate with them? What should they know about? For instance, my target audience for my blogs is always Academy Award winning actress and America’s sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence. So I would probably include topics about field hockey (she played growing up), John Stamos (apparently a huge fan), and drinking water (she has “H2O” tattooed on her hand as a reminder). So, Jen, if you’re reading this, hit me up. If you’re reading this and know Jennifer Lawrence or know someone who knows someone that knows Jennifer Lawrence, please pass this blog along. For everyone else reading NOT Jennifer Lawrence related, let’s move on.

Write first and create your title around it

Blogs tend to be free flowing and conversational. That’s part of the fun of it. You can write your blog in the EXACT format of a conversation with a coworker about all the intricacies of Taylor Swift’s new, upcoming album, “Reputation”, and how it would sound if it were transcribed in a court room – how much shade she’s throwing at Katy Perry, how “Look What You Made Me Do” is totes your new jam, and how even though the “old Taylor” may be dead you just can’t help but be excited about what the “new Taylor” has in store for you – run on sentences be damned. After your written rants, look back at your overall message and see what creative titles come to mind, rather than trying to form your opinion around the title beforehand. In this clearly hypothetical Taylor Swift example, a title you may come up with could be, “The New Taylor: Will she shake it off or have more bad blood?” See?! It’s a play on words with two of her songs in the title, but also posing a question everyone wants to know! She’s always been so nice and friendly and caring. Can she really be mean to someone? Should she turn the other cheek? What does Kanye think? Eek! What’s going to happen?! I mean, if you cared about all that. Again, it’s just a random, hypothetical example.

Organize your thoughts, review and edit

Take a moment to read through everything you just typed out. What in the heck was I thinking? Did I seriously write that? Is there something you can shorten to still get your point across? K.I.S.S. or Keep It Short and Simple is always a good rule of thumb. You may have a long opinion about a time you sent an amazing, thought provoking statement to a friend, waited two hours, constantly refreshed your phone and wondered how it impacted them. What will they say? Are they showing their friends? Did my comment blow their mind so much that they are now comatose? You eagerly await their retort until you finally hear the vibration of your phone, rush to check it, only to see one single letter “K” as a reply. What?! However, shortening it to “Never, ever, ever respond with only K” is just as effective and doesn’t lose the reader.

Is there something that doesn’t fit in with the rest of your blog and the overall point you are trying to make? Reviewing this blog, I had a great paragraph about how I was able to finally find inner peace, fully realizing the beauty in even the small things this world has to offer and how my overall quality of life has never been better. BUT, it didn’t fit for this blog so I omitted it. Who wants to read about that, anyway?

Finally, be sure to edit and spell check your blog for errors. Feel free to use the automated tools, but don’t forget to look it over with your eyes. Sometimes the correct spelling of a word may not be the word you want to use.

There you have it! The Who (you), What (a blog), When (whenever the heck you want), Where (again, anywhere), Why (see above, paragraph #2, under “Why write a blog”), and most importantly How (I’m just guessing I answered this question for you) of blog writing. I take solace in knowing the entire human race will now benefit from the future blogs, knowledge, and information all of you will pass on as a result of what you’ve learned here today. Start writing! Jennifer Lawrence, I look forward to hearing from you. My calendar is surprisingly open. Literally, every night for the foreseeable future – I’m free. The ball’s in your court.

Brad LewisBrad joined Celebrity in 2005 and currently serves as a Sr. Account Manager for Celebrity’s Kansas City branch office. Prior to joining Celebrity Staff, Brad was a business consultant in the communications industry for five years working specifically in the Kansas and Missouri districts. As a Sr Account Manager, Brad concentrates on making smart recommendations, so both the client and candidate are able to achieve their goals. Brad is a Certified Personnel Consultant, CPC and outside the office, enjoys spelunking and spending quality time with his two sons, Kobe and Eli.